New in 2017: Big changes to training, NCO education

The Army continues to look at whether to bring back drill sergeants to advanced individual training and replace AIT platoon sergeants. If adopted, this would mean a huge reversal for the service. The Army in 2007 replaced drill sergeants with AIT platoon sergeants as a way to recognize a young soldier’s transition from “less total control and a little bit more of recognizing the role of the noncommissioned officer,” Command Sgt. Maj. David Davenport, the senior enlisted soldier for Training and Doctrine Command, told Army Times earlier this year. The proposal to bring back the drill sergeants is still being studied – especially as drill sergeants receive at least $300 a month in special duty pay while AIT platoon sergeants do not. Also being studied is whether to extend basic training by a week in an effort to maximize the training soldiers receive before they arrive at th...